NEW DELHI: India has raised the issue of Kirpal Singh’s mysterious death in a Lahore jail with the authorities in Pakistan, who said he had died of a heart attack two days ago.
India’s Acting High Commissioner J P Singh met Director General in Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry in Islamabad following a directive from New Delhi in connection with death of Kirpal, who had languished for nearly 25 years in jail after being sentenced to death in a serial blasts case.
“According to the government of Pakistan, Kirpal Singh died on April 11 at 14:55 hours due to heart attack. We await further details,” Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Vikas Swarup said here.
He said the Acting High Commissioner had also requested the Pakistan Foreign Ministry to investigate the incident and sought Kirpal’s mortal remains.
Later, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj met Kirpal’s family and told the government was making all efforts to get his mortal remains back as early as possible.
“Comforting a family in grief. EAM @SushmaSwaraj meets with relatives of Shri Kirpal Singh, who died in Pakistan,” Swarup tweeted. She also informed the family that the government would try to revive the Indo-Pak judicial committee dealing with the welfare of Indian and Pakistani prisioners lodged in each other’s jails.